As expected, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge indicate there's no force of a law behind a private agreement that led to the expansion of wine sales in grocery stores.
With the bare minimum of votes required, the Senate has approved an expansion of grocery store wine sales by a vote of 18-14 and three not voting. The bill goes to the governor.
SB 284, the bill to allow sale of all wines in grocery store, failed on its first run in the House today, with the vote 47-33 and 12 present. So it will receive another vote.
Some unscheduled wrangling extended House debate this morning and it adjourned without debate on the Senate bill to expand wine sales in grocery stores.
Will grocery stores be able to sell more wine? The legislative answer might depend on whether legislation is passed to allow liquor stores to sell more food.
The distilled spirits lobby has come out against the bill to allow sale of all wines in grocery stores. And a new question has arisen about the governor's role in the proposal.
I'll be watching the Arkansas Supreme Court building for a sign today of a decision in the appeal of a lower court's disqualification of a local option vote on alcohol sales in Saline County.
If you didn't understand the specifics, you might find irony in the fact that Arkansas liquor stores have contributed $1.2 million — so far — to an effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment to allow retail alcohol sales in all 75 counties.
As expected, Elizabeth Robben Murray of the Friday Law Firm today filed a lawsuit challenging the certification of the proposed constitutional amendment to allow retail alcohol sales in all 75 counties. She also asked for an expedited hearing and asked for oral arguments.